Excavating mechanism



B. 0. AND H. u. SIMMONS.

'.EXCAVATING MECHANISM. APPLEICATION men June 30. 1920.

1,404,064. Patented Jan. 17,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHIEET 1.

I gwue'ntow fame Wally/20w mi B. G. AND H. D. SIMMONS.

EXCAVATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION men mm: 30. 1920.

1,404,064, Patented Jan.17,1922.

3 $HEETSSHEET 2.

B. 6. AND H. D. SIMMONS.

EXCAVATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1920.

Patented Jan. 17,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOWIE G. SIMMONS AND HARLON D. SIMMONS, OF LEXIE, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNORS 0F ONE-FOURTH TO LUTHA ARTHUR MORNHINVEG, OF BOGALUSA, LOUISIANA.

EXCAVATIN G MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Bowm G. SntnoNs and Harrow D. SIMMONS, citizens of the United States, residing at Lexie, in the county of althalI and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Excavating Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to excavating apparatus, and particularly to that class'of excavating devices in which a slip or bucket scraper is used which is drawn along tl e ground until the slip or bucket is lowered by means of cables from a winding drum, and then the scraper dumped at any desired position.

The general object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this kind wherein the scraper is drawn forward and automatically disposed in a scraping position by a longitudinal pull on one cable and is then shifted laterally to any longitudinal pull an another cable and is dumped automatically by a coactive draft on both of said cables and is drawn back to its initial position for cable.

A further object is to provide a very simple mechanism by which the scraper or slip may be caused to travelto the various positions required.

And another object is to provide a very simple means whereby the power of the cables is so applied to the scraper as to secure its scraping and its dumping actions respectively,

Other object will appear in the course of the following description.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the wind ing drum supporting frame and winding drums used with our excavating system;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the winding drums and showing a top plan view of the scraper in its cutting position and in the act of cutting;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the position of the scraper when it is ready for dumping. I

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the scraper;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the scraper:

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective desired extent by a a new cut by a third view of the forward end of the bail 39 and of the tongue 53 showing the position of the latch and knock-out lever 60 when the scraper is being pulled straight forward;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the same character as Figure 6, but showing the position of the parts at the time when the scraper has been pulled to its unloading or dumping position;

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view through the forward end of the bail showing the latch or keeper 58 carried thereby.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that the slip or excavating bucket or scraper is moved by three cables connected to three separate drums, and that these drums are designed to be operated by means of the power from a tractor.

Referring specifically to- Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that we have illustrated a supporting frame consisting of two longitudinal members 10. These members are preferably mounted on the rear of a tractor, though they may be mounted in any other suitable position. Mounted upon a transverse shaft 11 carried by said frame is a belt wheel 12, and passing over this belt wheel is a band or belt 13 which extends over the belt wheel of the tractor, whereby this shaft is driven. This shaft 11 carries a driving pinion or spur gear wheel 14, which in turn engages with a gear wheel 15 mounted loosely upon a shaft 16, this gear wheel engaging with an intermediate gear wheel 17' mounted on a shaft 18, this shaft being disposed below the frame formed by the members 11, and this intermediate gear wheel in turn engages with a gear wheel 19 loosely mounted on a shaft 20. Also mounted on theshafts 16, 18 and 20 are a plurality of winding drums, designated respectively 21. 22 and 23. These winding drums are loose on the shafts 16, 18 and 20 respectively, but are capable of being clutched to the shafts by any suitable clutches 24 operated by means of the several levers 25, 26., and 27. The clutching mechanism may be of any conventional character, and it will be understood that all the clutches are alike. By this means any one or more of the drums may be rotated from the power shaft 11 or any of the drums may remain quiescent.

Itwill be seen that the frame formed by the members 10 has attached to its rear end the upwardly and inwardly extending f tion, as illustrated in Figure 5.

shears or beams 28, these beams extending downward and preferably resting on theground.v These beams are further braced and supported by means of downwardly and forwardly extending braces 29. Carried upon the beams 28 are the swivelled pulleys 30 and 31 respectively. Passing from the drum 23 is the cable 32 which extends over the pulley 30. Extending from the drum 22 is a cable 33 which extends over the pulley 31. Passing from the drum 21 is a cable 34 which extends parallel to the ground. These three cables are designed to operate the scraper in a manner which will be hereafter plain.

The slip or scraper 35 is of ordlnary or conventional form and has the two side walls and rear wall, there being handles 36 extending rearwardly beyond the rear wall of the scraper whereby the scraper may be manipulated and guided. This excavating mechanism, as before stated, isof that character wherein the scraper is pulled forward to cut and load and is then pulled laterally and unloaded and then returned to its original position. The cable 34 is for the purpose of returning this scraper to its initial position, and to this end this cable 34 is attached to the rear end of the scraper and passes over a block or pulley 37 which is anchored in any suitable manner rearward of the point where the cut is to be made. This cable, as before stated, extends to the drum 21. When this drum rotated in one direction, this cable 34 is wound up to draw the scraper back to its initial position ready for a cut, and when the scraper isdrawn forward by the cable 32, the drum 21 is,'of course, released from the shaft so that it may run free and permit the slackening of the cable 34. I

For the purpose of connecting the cables 32 and 33 to the scraper, we provide the scraper with. two upwardly projecting, pivoted arms 38, and to the upper ends of the arms 38 is connected a U-shaped bail: 39 extending in advance of the entering edge of the scraper. Also pivotally connected to the free ends of the arms38 are the rearwardly extending links 40 which are pivoted at 41 to links 42 which extend rearward and are pivoted to therear end of the scraper, as at 43, that'is tothe upper end of a bracket 44 which extends over the handles so that as the upper ends of the arms 38 move forward, the links 40 and 42 will come into alignment. hen these arms 38 are moved rearward, the links 40 and 42 will take an angular posi- V The U- shaped bail 39 at its forward end has attached to it an angular iron 45 to which a clevis 46 is connected. To this clevis 46 the cable 33 is connected. This cable 33, after leaving the pulley 31. extends laterally. as illustrated in Figure 2, and around a block formed at their forward ends with eyes, and.

to these eyes is attached a U-shaped bail 55, this bail adjacent its forward end being provided with downwardly extending ,ears56, and passing through these cars is the pivot pin 57 which engages the ears withthe tongue 53 rearward of the forward end. The 1 forward extremity of the bail 55 carries upon it a depending latch member 58 (see Figure 7) having a forwardly projecting tooth 59.

This tooth 59 is adapted to be engaged by the tooth 49 of latch 48. I V

Pivotally mounted upon the tongue 53 adjacent its forward end is an angular releasing member, designated generally 60. This releasing member, as illustrated, is angular in plan, and one end of the memberis V returned upon itself and underneath the body of the member, as at 61, and then is downwardly deflected and rearwardly ex tended, as at 62. Between this portion 62 and the body of the angular member 60 the tongue 53 extends, and a pivot pin 63 extends through the angular releasing member 60, through the tongue, and through the portion 62 of the releasing member, thus pivoting this angular releasing member on the tongue. The forward end ofthe releasing member 60 has attached to it the clevis 64. and to this clevis the cable 32 is attached. The two bails 39 and 55 and the latching mechanism described, with the cables 32 and 33, form the means whereby the scraper may be drawn over the ground in its cutting posi- "ion and then dumped, thecables32 forming the means whereby the scraper may be shifted longitudinally for its cutting action, and the cable 33 forming the means whereby it may be shifted laterally for its dumping action. The pull on cable 32 exerted.

through pivot 63 on tongue 53 tends to pull this tongue into a horizontal plane and hence to draw down the bail 39 until its latch 48 engages with the lip 59 on the latching member 58. The parts are thus in the position shown in Figure 5. At this time,

therefore, the power is transmitted through tongue 53 to bail 39 rearward to the scraper and the line of pull is relatively close to the ground, the pull tending to force the scraper close to the ground. Of course. the rear end of the scraper under these circumstances is held raised by the operator of the anchored blocks 47 so that the cutting edge will cut into the ground. The cable 32 draws the scraper forward until. it is loaded. During this time the cable 33 is slackened, the drum 22 being free .from its shaft. Drum 21 is also released from its shaft and only drum 23 is connected to the power. When the scraper is loaded and it is desired to move the'scrap'er laterally toward the block 4L7, then the pull on cable 32 is relaxed by releasing drum 23 and power is applied to drum 22, the drum 21 remaining, of course, released. The cable 33 then draws the scraper laterally to the dumping point in Figure 3, the longitudinal axis of the scraper being, therefore, at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the frame supporting the series of drums. lVhen it has reached the dumping point, the operator places tension on cable 32 by clutching drum 23 to the shaft, while at the same time cable 33 is being wound up on its drum. This causes a sidewise pull on cable 32, as illustrated in Figure 3, and that sidewise pull, therefore, causes the trip lever 60 to swing and cause lug 6O on the free end of the trip lever to strike on lever 48 (see Figure 7) and swing the latch outward, disconnecting it from its engagement with the latching tooth 59 on member 58 so that the upper bail 39 swings upward to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, and a continued pull on line 33, which is connected to the bail 39 causes the scraper to dimip, that is when the two bails 55 and 39 are released from their latched engagement with each other, line 33 pulls the bail 39 forward until the slack in the joint between the two links 40 and 4:2 is taken up. Thus the power is transmitted to the rear upper portion of the scraper, causing the scraper to turn upon its cutting edge and discharging its contents. lVhen the scraper has been dumped, it is shifted back to its original position by cable 34- and the strain on cable 33 is relaxed. A slight strain is then applied to the cable which causes the two bails to again move to the position shown in full lines in Figure 5 and interlatch with each other, and then power is applied to the drum 23 to cause the scraper to begin a new cut.

It will also be obvious that any usual braking mechanism might be applied to the drums to hold them from overrunning or r to retard the movement of the drums so as to keep the cables taut. This machine is particularly adapted for road building, te'rracing, canal digging or building levees. The size of the ditch or canal dug or other work performed depends upon the position and 37, that is of the size of the triangle made by the cables 33 and By means of these cables. the slip or excavator may be drawn to any desired position between the blocks 37 and 40. e do not wish to be limited to the power mechanism being applied to the rear end of a tractor, as it might be mounted upon a separate frame and driven by any suitable engine.

While we have illustrated a particular form of our invention which we believe to be particularly effective, we do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown, as it is obvious that many changes might be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

\Ve claim 1. An excavating mechanism of the character described comprising an excavating scraper, a drum having a cable extending from it to the forward end of the excavating scraper, a drum having a cable thereon, the cable extending to the rear end of the excavating scraper, a block rearward of the scraper through which the last named cable passes, a block disposed in a horizontal plane to one side of the drums and the normal line of movement of the scraper, a third drum having a cable wound thereon, this cable extending diagonally to the line of movement of the scraper and over the last named block and being connected to the forward end of the scraper whereby the scraper may be pulled laterally, continuously operated power transmitting mechanism associated with the drums, and means for connecting any one of the drums to the power transmitting mechanism or disconnecting any one of them therefrom.

2. An excavating mechanism of the character described comprising a supporting frame, three shafts mounted thereon and carrying intermeshing gears, means for applying power to one of said gears, a drum loosely mounted on each of the shafts, clutches whereby any one drum may be connected to its corresponding shaft or disconnected therefrom, an excavating scraper, a block disposed behind the scraper, a cable wound upon one of said drums and passing through said block and then returned upon itself and engaging the rear end of the scraper, a frame extending beyond the supporting frame of the machine. pulleys thereon, a cable wound on one drum and passing over one of said pulleys and connected to the forward end of the scraper, a block disposed to one side of the scraper, a cable attached to the third frame passing over one of said pulleys on the upper frame and extending around said last named block and then extending laterally to the forward end of the scraper.

3. A scraping mechanism of the character described, including an excavating bucket scraper, a bail operatively connected for vertical pivotal movement to the rear end of the scraper. a bail operatively connected to the forward end of the scraper adjacent its cutting edge, a cable operatively connected to the last named bail and connected to a retracting means, a cable connected to the first named bail, a pulley to one'side ofthe scraper over which said cable is passed, independent retracting means for said last named cable, means for causing the free ends of the two bails to move toward each other upon strain being applied to the second named cable and thereby to the second named bail to draw the machine longitudinally, means for automatically latching the free ends of the two bails in engagement with each other when the free ends of the two'bails are brought in proximity, and means for causing the unlatching of the bails when strain is applied to the second named cable to 'draw the machine laterally and strain coincidently applied upon the first named cable.

4. An excavating mechanism of the character described comprising an excavating slip, a bail operatively connected and pivoted to the rear end of the slip and having a depending pivoted latch at its forward end, and a clevis, a cable connected to said clevis and extending laterally from the slip, a second bail pivotally connected to the forward end of the slip adjacent the bottom thereof and disposed below the first named bail and provided with a latching member with which the first named latch is adapted to engage when the free ends of the bails are brought into proximity, a member operatively supported on the last named bail for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane and having a clevis to which a draft cable is attached, said member being movable in a horizontal plane and when so shifted engaging the pivoted latch on the first named bail to disengage it from the latch on the second named bail, said pivoted member being so connected to the second named ball that when stram is applied to the cable connected to the pivoted'member longitudinally of the slip, the pivoted member will be held out of engagement with the latch and thereby permit longitudinal movement of the slip and a lateral movement of the slip upon strain being applied to the lateral cable, said releasing member being shiftable into a latch engaging position when the pull of its cable is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the slip.

A mechanism of the character described including an excavating scraper, rocker arms pivoted to the side walls of the scraper adjacent its rear end and extending upward therefrom, a bail extending in advance of the scraper and pivoted to said arms, pivoted links connecting the upper end of said arms to the rear end of the scraper adjacent the upper end of the rear wall, a clevis attached to the forward end of the bail, a latch operatively pivoted to the forward end of with a tooth adapted to be engaged by the tooth onthe first named latchmember when the upper bail is lowered into proximity with thelower bail, said second named'bail having ears adjacent its forward end, a tongue pivotally connected to the first named bail and extending downward and forward and having a pivotal connection with said cars, the tongue extending beyond said cars, and an angular releasing member pivoted midway of its ends to said tongue rearward of the forwardend of the tongue, one end of the angular member carrying a clevis, the other end of the angular member being disposed in proximity to the first named latching member when the latter is engaged with the second namedlatching member whereby strain upon the releasing member may cause the releasing member to turn and release the latching member.

6. In an excavating mechanism, a scraper having-a bottom, side walls and a rear wall, arms pivoted to the side walls and extending above the same, a pair of pivoted links pivotal-ly connected to the upper end of each of said arms and to the upper portion of the rear end of each side wall whereby said arms may have limited movement, a U- shaped bail pivoted at its rear end to the upper ends of said pivoted arms, a clevis attached-to the forward end of the bail, a latch pivotally supported onthe forward end of the bail and extending downward and rearward and having a rearwardly extending detent tooth, a second bail swingingly connected to the side walls of the scraper adjacent its forward end and adjacent the bottom of the scraper and extending below the first named bail, theforward end of the second named bail carrylng a latch member with which the first latch 7 member is adapted to engage, a tongue pivoted to the first named bail and extending downward and forward below the same, the

second named bail having depending ears,

a pivot pin passing through said ears and said tongue rearward of its forward end, an angular latch releasing member pivoted to said tongue rearward of the forward end, one arm of the angular releasing member carrying a clevis, the other arms being formed to engage said first named latching member and release it when the releasing member is swung on its pivot, and an operating mechanism including three winding drums, means for applying power independently to any one of said drums, cables wound upon said drums, an anchored block disposed rearward of the scraper, one of said cables passing from one of said drums through said block and being attached to the rear end of the scraper, another of said cables passing from its drum directly to the clevis on the releasing member, an anchored block disposed laterally and forwardly of the first named anchored block, and athird cable passing from its drum through said block and then extending laterally and being connected to the clevis on the forward end of the first named tongue.

7. In an excavating machine, an excavating bucket scraper, a draft bail operatively connected to the forward end of the scraper, a dumping bail operatively connected to the rear end of the scraper, a releasable latch on the draft bail normally holding the forward end of the dumping bail from forward movement and in engagement with the draft bail, a retracting cable operatively connected to the rear of the scraper, a second draft cable connected to the dumping bail and eX- tending at an angle to the first named draft cable, said latch being automatically shifted to release the latch and the dumping and draft bails and permit strain to be applied upon the dumping bail when the scraper has been drawn laterally by the second draft cable and turned to a predetermined angle to the first named draft cable.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

BOXVIE G. SIMMONS.

HARLON D. SIMMONS. 

